A living or sitting room is used quite often and is usually the space that is seen the most by house guests. While it’s often an environment that evokes feelings of comfort and intimacy, living rooms also provide an opportunity for home occupants to put a personal touch on the space. From velvet couches to textured walls, to star-shaped lamps to round dining tables, we outline some living room and sitting room furniture ideas to pick from.
Establish your surroundings
How you choose to decorate your home can be dependent on a number of factors. One of which is your surroundings. Depending on where your home is located, you may want to lean into the external environment and incorporate it into your home. If you live by a beach, a casual laid back decor will help create a ‘coastal vibe’, such as tropical patterns and rattan furniture. However, if you live in the heart of the city a ‘loft style’ apartment may dictate distressed furniture and exposed or natural walls and floors.
Choose the perfect couch
A sofa or couch is something humans should hopefully spend a lot of time enjoying. It’s also a large piece of furniture that can take up quite a bit of space in your living room. Therefore, choosing the right couch is paramount. Besides comfort, the aesthetic of the couch will depend on your design preferences. A chunky leather couch and armchair may suit a home with a rustic look and feel, whereas an elegant velvet sofa would work well in homes that have a classic mid-century style.
Go bold with your coffee and dining table
While a luxurious couch is a staple piece of furniture, unique coffee and dining tables are the true heart of the room and can provide an opportunity to put a personal stamp on the space. If you want a quirky display of your plant collection, a long rectangular table could be a good option. For an old school look and feel, a round dining table is perfect for people that love to entertain. Not only does a round table feel more inclusive, but its smaller size also creates flow, allowing people to move around the space comfortably.
Choose unique lighting
It’s a commonly known fact that adding lamps, big or small, instantly injects ambience into any room. But why not go one step further? Light can come in all shapes and sizes and choosing lamps that have unusual designs can complete a living room while giving it a unique look and feel. Star-shaped wooden lamps can hang from the ceiling to create an eclectic vibe, or if you’re trying to create a warehouse/loft atmosphere, a spotlight lamp can help your living room feel like a funky studio.
Play around with pillows
Whether you’re in a rental and unable to change the paint colours, or you prefer to keep your walls painted with a soft tone, cushions and pillows can be the perfect, low maintenance way to incorporate bolder colours and patterns into your living space. Not only do pillows and cushions soften the look of your living room, but they also make relaxing on the couch much more comfortable. Pair geometric patterns with velvet, handpainted florals with neutral linen, or bold stripes with a woven fabric. With endless options of fabrics and patterns, you can take any creative direction your desire, without compromising the walls of the room.
Add texture to the floors and walls
If you’re in a position where you can alter your floors and walls, adding texture to these areas is a unique design idea for your living room or sitting room. Upholstering the walls is great for soundproofing, but it also injects a cosy and intimate feel into the space. From velvet to leather, you can have fun with what materials you choose and offset them by hanging contrasting artwork. If you don’t want to commit to upholstering, textured wallpaper can also be another creative option. Choosing rugs and carpets with vibrant prints and unusual textures can help make the room ‘pop’ while also adding comfort to the space.
Experiment with different shapes
Whether it’s to lighten an area or make it seem bigger, shapes can have on a space. As mentioned before, a round dining table fits neatly in smaller spaces but also encourages conversation when dining. A rectangle dining table allows for more decorative features such as plants and books to be showcased on it. Depending on how big your living room is, you can incorporate a few different shapes into the space that can contrast and complement each other. Place a round mirror over a long rectangular console table, add a tall arched mirror near a round table to lift the room and create an illusion of height. An L-shape sofa is also a popular choice if space is of the essence. Adding round and rectangle cushions can be a perfect way to utilise contrasting shapes.
Decorating your living or sitting room and looking for help? For quality furniture and homeware Australia wide, contact the team at Berkowitz Furniture.
